Hellhound (18 page)

“But you told Damares.”

She looked as if she were caught red-handed. There was
a gap in her story.

“You know about that?”

“Yes. Like I said, I’m the Hellhound, my job is to
sniff and sort out every bit of information regarding a crime. Did you tell the
Elders that you talked to her? I can safely say that they must have known after
seeing your memory.”

That might have been another reason to force Damares
into the cerebral chamber. If she didn’t have a hand in aiding Demetrius in the
actual crime, perhaps she would be inclined to help him knowing that he was the
culprit before the rest of the clan caught wind.

“While I was sitting on my floor, trying not to cry, I
pacified myself long enough to go over what happened and hone in on the
murderer. I saw him from a side profile, and I thought that he looked like
Damares’s brother. I went over every man that I’d seen in the domicile near
that time, leading up to that moment, and the killer resembled Damares’s
brother the best. I wanted to prepare her for what I was about to do, because I
couldn’t keep this inside of me.

“I told Damares after she exited the meeting room,
where the trackers were taken, when they split us up and interviewed us one by
one. I pulled her aside to ask her what happened in her individual interview,
and she told me. Then I briefly told her what I thought I saw. She was shocked.
I told her to calm down. She went back to her room after that and mentally
prepared herself. We didn’t see him at the initial meeting when the sentries rounded
us up, so I bet she sort of saw that coming.”

“Then what? What happened in the meeting?”

“At the large meeting, we were all told why we were
there. You know, you were there, too. In my individual meeting, they questioned
me and probed me, but not long since I was dying to let it out. Danther
discreetly escorted me to the cerebral chamber. They interviewed a few more
people after me, and then the Council met me in the throne room where they went
over the memory. I was dismissed after that.

“They thanked me, and then apologized that I had to go
through such a horrible ordeal. They even sent up some food later that day, but
I was sick to my stomach after seeing all that blood.”

She shivered. We were spoiled. Back in ancient times,
it was not rare to see our black fluids splattered across the world. Even more
common was to see the bright blood of mortals everywhere between wars,
disputes, and often times due to the enraged hands of our kind.

“Did you meet Ashton here?”

“Ashton? No, why would you think that?”

“You two are together, right? Courting in secrecy?”

Her face turned bright red. “Well, yes, but not that
day. I hadn’t seen him all day and for days after that. I assumed that he was
busy with other things.”

“Really? You hadn’t seen him for days surrounding the
incident? Wasn’t he there during the briefing on the situation?”

She shook her head. “Well, I guess I saw him momentarily
before we separated and were interviewed individually. Since he had an alibi,
they allowed him to leave. I was too preoccupied with what I’d seen to pay much
attention to anyone else, including Ashton.”

“What was his alibi?”

“I don’t know. Maybe he had another assignment. He’s a
good tracker, was always away.”

“Wait—” I inhaled deeply, rubbed my temples, and
breathed a few times.

“What is it, Selene?”

“Ashton was sent to me that night to help me track Demetrius.
He didn’t say anything about having another assignment.”

“I can’t imagine that the Council would place him on
two jobs at once, especially with the tracker taking high priority. Maybe after
seeing my memory, and realizing that the murderer was a tracker, the Council
called him back soon after. Ashton’s a pretty good tracker, too.”

I needed to speak with Ashton soon. Why did Ashton lie
to Damares about being with Lydia? It seemed that constructing a false alibi
based on another false alibi secured him after the initial questioning. Surely,
he knew that he would get caught once the Council saw that Lydia hadn’t been
with Ashton. Or, had they overlooked that, enthralled by the murder in itself
and didn’t focus on him?

“So you hadn’t seen Ashton prior to the crime, or much
afterward?”

“No.”

“Did you know for sure that Ashton was even in the domicile
around the time of the murders? He wasn’t out in the city on assignment, or
somewhere else during the murders?”

“He was here. I know he was in the meeting room when I
walked in. I’d heard of people seeing him before the murders. Damares had seen
him, and I think she brought it up to tactfully find out if I’d been seeing him.”

“He was here. He was in the big meeting. Did Damares
say anything else concerning Ashton?”

“No.”

“Are you and Damares close?”

“Yeah.”

“Do you think that Damares and Ashton have a thing
going on?”

“Oh, goodness no!” She almost laughed. “They’re
cordial with one another, but nothing more than a ‘hello’ and a passing glance.
They’re as close as I was to Demetrius, which wasn’t very.”

“All right. Well, thanks for all the information.”

“Does any of it help?”

I pressed my lips together as I stood. “It opened up a
few more doors, and I’m sure it’ll soon fit into the larger puzzle. Believe me,
though, that you’ve given me some important info.”

“I’m glad that it helped. Just do me a favor, and
don’t mention this to anyone. I don’t want people to know that I was the
witness, and plus, the Council would get upset if they knew we had this
discussion.”

“Yeah,” I muttered, “I know how they are about keeping
things close knit.”

“See you sometime, Selene,” Lydia said as she followed
and closed the front door behind me.

I didn’t know why I hadn’t bothered to talk with Lydia
before. I would’ve known then that Ashton lied to Damares, and asked her to lie
for him on top of that. Ashton and I weren’t very familiar with one another to
begin with, but I could sparsely trust him now.

Chapter Fourteen

I couldn’t avoid the Elders and their minions once I
reached their floor. I took the stairwell. It was empty, as usual. I took my
time, slowing my naturally swift tempo.

Lydia hadn’t told anyone about what she saw with the
exception of Damares and the Council. That was her story, at least. Apparently,
she hadn’t seen Ashton in order to inform him of circulating events, because if
he knew that Lydia was the witness, he wouldn’t have lied to Damares about
being with Lydia, seeing that she had her own infallible alibi. He couldn’t
have known that she was locked up one level above the cerebral chamber, working
on orders from the Council minion before witnessing the crime.

What had Ashton been doing during the murders? What
was so important and secretive that he outright lied to more than one person? I
intended to find out the next time I encountered the man.

It took a while, but Lydia seemed placate enough to
divulge her knowledge to me. It was funny to see how people relaxed and gushed
about info once they believed that I already knew everything.

I pushed open the door to the hallway to have a look.
White robes with gold thread ropes floated all around, some leaving, some
returning, and some just wandering. The Elders glanced at me when I emerged,
surprised as anyone else to see me.

“Have you brought him in?” Serph asked with an
anticipatory and awkward smile on his face.

“No.”

“Any leads?” another Elder inquired.

“No.”

“Hmm,” a third Elder hummed.

Then they went about their business since I was of no
further importance. I peered around the corner at the far end of the hall
toward Claudius’s apartment, his door closed. Where was he?

Mother opened her door to me after the first knock. I
imagined her movement to get to the door. Being an Elder she owned charming
grace, practically floating on air when she moved in her gown. Her glide was
smooth but quick, reaching the front door to her apartment in no time.

“Oh, Selene,” my mother chimed when she saw my face.
She leaned over and gave me a soft hug. “Please come in.”

She walked ahead of me. I entered the idyllic
apartment and closed the door behind us. I would have to guess that her
apartment was twice as large as mine, filled with plush white furniture, red
and pink pictures and knick knacks, and filled with a serene ambiance.

“Are you hungry, thirsty? Have you brought him in?”

“No, Mother, but thank you.”

“Well, come, sit down.” She moved to the living room
where I followed.

Mother took a seat on the sofa, her toes buried in the
white fur rug, while I sat on a chair across from her, over a glass and silver
coffee table. She didn’t have a television to fill up space, and conversation
took precedence in her home.

Mother appeared collected again. Her hair done, her
make-up just right. Mother, as always, wore decadent clothing as if she were
the queen to some estate. Today she donned a long, flowing, sea green dress
with extended, chiffon sleeves, and pearl jewelry her Elder robe in the foyer
on a hook.

“What brings you by, Selene?”

“I came to sniff around for more clues to the
incident.”

“I see. And have you found any?”

“No. It seems things are more convoluted than ever.”

“How has the hunt progressed?”

I shook my head and leaned in on my knees. Mother
turned her head to the side and gave me a quick reprimand. I immediately corrected
my posture. I sat upright and rigid with ankles crossed, my chin high, and my
palms in my lap like a royal.

“Not as well or as rapidly as I’d hoped. The tracker is
very good, very fast, and very tricky. No one has latched onto him, and I have
no idea where to start.”

“I can imagine. That was why we had to send you and
everyone else after him.”

“I’m sure that’s not the only reason.”

“What are you implying?”

“I’ve learned my lesson. I mated with the wrong
person, he destroyed our lives, and I will never make this mistake again. I’m
afraid to admit I need more help, more trackers, other clans involved to cover
more ground and sky. What will happen if I don’t bring him in?”

She thought for a moment. “You know, dear, I don’t
know. That thought never crossed our minds.” Mother, like most Elders, were in
the habit of referring to themselves together, as if they were all attached as
one, ambiguous entity.

“I see.”

“Do you doubt your skill, Selene?”

“I’ve stumbled on that thought lately. It’s been days.”

“A hunter has to be patient.”

“What about the throne?”

“What about it?”

“Will it continue to sit empty until I return the tracker?”

Mother looked thoughtful again. “I suppose so. I know
some Elders have children who desire the throne, and some are even prepared to
take it, but that throne is yours.”

“Claudius told me that I had to bring in the tracker
before I could claim the throne. Was that a unanimous decision?”

She sighed. “It was. We agreed on this because we as a
Council knew that you would bring him back, restore retribution, and ascend to
the throne in a matter of time. First thing is first, which is bringing in the
accused. I’ll speak with the rest of the Elders on what we should do if you
fail.”

I cringed at the word. What an ugly term.

“You tried your best, we know.”

“I’ve never failed at anything.”

“Yes, I’m aware. Perhaps you can take the throne and
continue hunting him?”

“How would that work? Wouldn’t you require me to live
here? He would never miss a blaring white ghost chasing him in the night. No,
it’s one or the other. And we both know that I couldn’t rest until Father’s
killer was taken care of.”

“I understand.”

“You seem to be doing much better now.”

“The time for mourning has passed.”

“So short, I see. Did you take solace in Claudius?”

She stared at me with disapproving eyes and chided me
for asking such a blatant and insolent question with a tsk, tsk.

“I’m not a child. I can handle the truth. The truth will
come out eventually, especially if he takes you as a bride.”

“Why would you think such things?”

“He’s alone now, and you are the only single female Elder
on the Council.”

“You will be a single female Elder on the Council when
you take the throne shortly.”

I winced. I fought for what was mine, even though I
didn’t truly want it. “Well, we all know that those sort of women are rare and
far in between. Neither the Council, nor the clan, will allow that for very
long.”